ICW Fear & Loathing XI | The Big Bumper Preview, Prediction & Poll!

On December 2nd 2018, Insane Championship Wrestling once again hail from The SSE Hydro in Glasgow for Fear & Loathing. So, for the second year running we’re doing our BIG. BUMPER. PREVIEW, PREDICTION AND POLL along with each competitors win-loss records at Fear & Loathing. Adam will provide his prediction in his preview but here I’ll give my thoughts and offer you, dear reader, a chance to throw your two pence in and vote on who you think will win their respective matches. Let’s do this.

The main event is a six year story culminating in a title versus career match at Fear & Loathing. This has been one of the most intense rivalries in Scottish wrestling, built through what fans think they know and what is presented. The origins of this feud has never really been revealed but you can feel the change in atmosphere when these two share a ring. Jackie Polo has shone as Just Justice but it looks like he will be Jackie Polo on this night seeing as Lionheart has never beat the man himself, only gaining victory over the rootin’ tootin’ Just Justice. Polo has taken jabs at every part of Lionheart the character and the man himself, creating a personal endeavour to rid Scottish wrestling of his greatest adversary.

Prediction: Lionheart

It has to be, I can’t see Lionheart ending his career at this stage. I’ll be interested to see who his first challenger will be following Fear & Loathing and how it follows into 2019.

This match has had little build, relying on them being real life brothers to push it forward. Since Joe Coffey’s ICW return this was set in motion but delayed due to their efforts in NXT UK as a team. The have faced off in the past elsewhere but never one on one in ICW. With Mark now going solo in ICW and Joe still part of RUDO Sports & Entertainment Brand, Red Lightning could be the difference maker and add the ICW Zero G Championship to his brand accolades.

Prediction: Joe Coffey.

I’ve picked a winner, though I suspect that whoever wins will shortly lose the title to someone that can be regularly at ICW and not be restricted by their NXT UK commitments. Not to say that WWE is the enemy but on this occasion it’s really stunted the potential story of this match. Joe winning would have him held both singles titles in ICW, so that would be a fine statistic.

The Kinky Party defend their ICW Tag Team Championships against Red Lightning’s ALPHA/EVIL team. They’ve collided before with Jester and Samuels just making it past them. Their first match saw The Kinky Party just scrape through, will they be so lucky at Fear & Loathing?

Prediction: ALPHA/EVIL

I think The Kinky Party as a team has had its time, Sha and Jack would be well suited to move back into the singles ranks chasing titles and with ALPHA/EVIL becoming champions it offers something a little fresher. A big dominant team for others to chop down.

Viper challenged Kay Lee Ray to a match to determine who the best wrestler in the world was. The feud escalated to the point where we will see the first ever Queen of Insanity match which is basically your old school ICW anything goes style type of thing. “The Babe of Brutalitiy” Viper has been showing a more aggressive side on the run up to Fear & Loathing and has been more than game to fight dirty. Kay Lee Ray was dragged back into the Women’s division but the temptation of being crowned ICW Women’s World Champion could see her want to stick around a little while longer.

Prediction: Viper

I’m on the fence about this one, as much as I’d like to see Kay Lee win I’d rather her go into the Zero G division. Though that isn’t to say she can’t do both but with plenty of challengers lining up, like Sammii Jayne and Aivil, I don’t want to see the Women’s World Championship take a back seat again. Viper could continue that effectively plus adding the moniker “Queen of Insanity” would make her a force to be reckoned with in ICW, a bigger force than she is already.

One team will become the new number one contenders to whoever leaves Fear & Loathing XI as ICW Tag Team Champions. This match is loaded with great tag teams from the super-team of Havoc & Haskins to some of the best teams in the country like The Fite Network and The Kings of Catch along with homegrown talent in The Purge plus Ring of Honor legends The Briscoe Brothers. It’s quite an amalgamation of duos with the current PBW, PWE and WrestleZone Tag Team Champions in this one plus former PROGRESS, ROH and ICW Tag Team Champions involved. It’s star studded line up for sure.

Prediction: The Kings of Catch

There wasn’t any other team you’d think I’d pick was there? The best tag team in the country in my opinion and the next ICW Tag Team Champions.

This one has had a lot of focus, Mark Dallas employing Joe Hendry to try and make Mikey Whiplash see the light and realise that hardcore and deathmatch wrestling isn’t what is needed anymore and that rules needed to be put in place to continue the evolution of professional wrestling. Probably one of the most hotly anticipated matches on the card.

Prediction: Joe Hendry

I don’t think it’ll be a clean win by any means with a sneaky suspicion that a certain Andy Wild might make an appearance to help Hendry. Dallas announcing that he wasn’t booking Wild for The Hydro just makes me think that it’s a ruse, a ploy to have Andy be part of Team Dallas going into 2019. Kieran Kelly and Leyton Buzzard might do one more final thing to close their ongoing chapter that has been in the background of this feud.

A bit of a random one at first, James Storm disrespected ICW a while back and Grado is defending the honour of the company. That’s about it really. Grado is currently in Impact Wrestling and James Storm was in Impact Wrestling and this will be the first time they’ve ever faced off. Close friend to both, and WWE Hall of Famer, Jeff Jarrett has been added to be the special guest referee.

Prediction: Grado

For no other reason that I don’t think James Storm has anything to gain from winning, he’s made random appearances but nothing substantial. Grado needs a momentum boost and if it’s ICW’s Grado, as opposed to funnyman Grado, then this will be a really good match. Jeff Jarrett will probably hit someone with a guitar, it would be something if it’s Grado who eats the acoustic equalizer and we see Grado versus Jarrett next year.

A grudge match that, like Coffey vs Coffey, hasn’t really gone anywhere in the run up due to Kenny Williams being part of NXT UK tours. Echo has had some impressive wins recently against the likes of Jeff Cobb and Kid Fite but he’s yet to get his hands on his former best friend.

Prediction: Aaron Echo

Simply because Echo is there, he’s had to carry a lot of this so would be the more logical choice. In my predictions this would be the only loss on the table for Red Lightning’s charges so this could lay the seeds for something between the now fit Red and Kenny Williams.